Shadowbreaker RPG (Beta): Grounded, Narrative, Tactical Fantasy

Hey folks!

Those of you following my PF2 design posts might have noticed a dip in that type of post over the last few months. In particular, I'd gestured towards fleshing out a lot of different PF2 scenario structures, and have not done so beyond Dungeons. There are two main reasons for this. The first is boring and kinda sad, which is that I've had very low capacity for doing things that involve screens due to a pretty bad concussion that I've been struggling with for the past couple of months. The second, however, is much more exciting.

For the last several years, I've been tinkering with my own homebrew system, called Shadowbreaker, and it is finally in a form that I feel comfortable sharing. In the spirit of Prismatic Wasteland's 2025 challenge, this is still very much a beta - there's a lot missing, especially monsters, treasure (and other rewards), and scenario structures. I have playtested it in one-shots and with 2 PCs, but am only just now starting my first full-group playtest - I'm sure things will change, but I'm also really happy with where it's at.

If all you want is the straight dope, as Matt Colville says, here is a link to the most up to date playtest document! As well as the Character Sheet front and back. If you want more on my thought process, as well as an explanation of what sets this game apart from others, read on!

How Did We Get Here?

I've played a lot of games over the years, starting with 5e about a decade ago, but since then also Pathfinder 2e, fiction-first games like Blades in the Dark, OSR games, and rules-lite games with like 3 rules max. And of course, being who I am, I've read through countless more. All of them had an impact in my design process, and I'm grateful for every change to learn.

Problems with Pathfinder

I love PF2, and will probably keep running it! It is an incredible game in so many ways - but over the last 5 or so years of running it, there are a lot of things that have begun to feel... a bit overly burdensome. Some of that is just, high level play is a lot! Tons of HP, tons of abilities to track (even with a VTT), etc. That one can be easily fixed by just capping out around level 12, but there are other issues as well. Some are fundamental to the game, others I think are fixable with enough work. In no particular order:

• Numbers get REAL high, including a TON of damage dice at high levels. (Fundamental to in-person play, not an issue in VTTs)
• The game is highly mechanized. I'm going to split this into a few sub points.
• In combat, this works mostly pretty well! The core rules are solid, there are interesting tactical options even without fancy abilities, and the abilities tend to be power scaled such that things stay interesting.
• At high levels, there are so many abilities that it can be confusing/overwhelming for players to keep track of. (Fundamental to high-level play, not really an issue at low levels, everyone's threshold will vary)
• Jumping off of this, a game with very in-depth mechanics prioritizes engaging with those mechanics over engaging with the fiction, just by its nature. There's only so much that folks can fit in their heads all at once! (Fundamental, but not inherently a problem, this is largely a stylistic thing)
• Lots of abilities (esp. Skill Feats) give players permission to do something that they should already be able to do. Designers have clarified that the intent is that they just make those things easier, but running them accordingly requires the GM to know all the various options and what they allow, which is a lot to remember! (Fixable, but requires rewriting skill feats and a handful of other abilities)
• Lastly, I'm just not a big fan of building characters nowadays. I'm much more interested in discovering them. I want to learn who characters are over the course of a campaign, and have them gain abilities based on their actions and choices rather than just choosing them from a list. (Fundamental, but a question of style rather than a strict problem)
• The subsystems are FAR better than anything 5e has, but still lacking, not in their mechanical depth but in their approach. I talked about this more in my Guide to Haunts as well as my many Negotiations posts, but I think the rules should be based around advice like this, rather than requiring a bunch of extra work. (Fixable, but it's a lot of work)
• Just to add on briefly here - they seem to be tailored around the idea that PCs won't spend very long on each Check, that they won't ask lots of questions or think hard about their approach or describe things in character - if your players do do those things, which I always encourage mine to, then subsystems almost invariably take way too long at the table and feel like a slog. This was worst in Mzali, but has cropped up in many other places.
• Despite that, Skill Feats aren't really integrated into the Subsystems... weird! (Fixable - here's one person's attempt! There's some neat ideas here)
• The system focuses more on combat than I want it to. APs are even worse about this. I like my adventures to be loose scenarios where combat is (often) a player choice, rather than a necessity or the core objective. I also like it when combats can be unbalanced, but since the core assumption of PF2 is that that won't happen, players can often get stuck in the mindset of "every combat is a nail, and I have a big fucking hammer," even when I actively try to dissuade them. (Fundamental, but a question of style rather than a strict problem)
• Along similar lines, the power-scaling is just, not to my taste. I prefer things to be more grounded, where a guard is a guard and still (at least somewhat) relevant even at higher levels, rather than having level 1 normal guards and the level 14 fancy guards that a lot of APs have (with no real discernable lore reason for why they're level 14 other than, the AP needed it). (Fundamental, but a question of style rather than a strict problem)
• Nothing in the rules of PF2 specifically enables Roleplay. To be clear, it's not trying to! And it's not any worse about this than 5e, in fact a lot of folks really value the character customization for how it lets them express their specific character. However, I want the rules of the game to actively encourage roleplay and thinking world first rules second (if at all), and I think PF2 is already complicated enough without adding that. (Fundamental, but a question of style rather than a strict problem)

TO BE CLEAR, I still think PF2 is a great game, and will probably keep running it! This list of "problems" is much tamer than the one I wrote after 5 years of GMing 5e (I edited it a bit a few years later, hence some of the references to 2022 posts/videos). But, especially with my concussion, I've really wanted a more streamlined experience focused more on roleplay and creative problem solving rather than combat (while still having combat be fun).

Exploring Other Games

I started running other games back when I still ran 5e, first starting with Stars Without Number, and then a bigger change with Blades in the Dark. In the 5 years I've been playing PF2, I've ran and played many other games as well, and read through a frankly ridiculous number that I've never played. I like many of them for many different reasons, and will go through some of the specifics of that here!

OSR Games are the ones that I pulled from the most for this project (other than Pathfinder 2e, which to be clear, makes up a lot of the core rules even if largely in stripped down form). Thematically, I love the focus on creative problem solving and grounded, down to earth characters, choices, and challenges (not that there isn't gonzo shit too, and that's also fun!). Mechanically, I love the simplicity and streamlined nature of modern OSR games, as well as the way that many systems like Shadowdark or DCC make magic feel dangerous and unpredictable. However, not only do I want combat to be more viable and fun than it is in most OSR games, but I also don't like the common focus on XP-for-Treasure. In many ways it's better than XP-for-Combat, but my players just... aren't motivated my money. We play games to get away from that shit. They're largely motivated by quests/tasks and characters. Specific things I stole from these include.

Narrative-ish games like Legends in the Mist, Blades in the Dark and (kind of, I'm including it here even though you could argue it doesn't count) Daggerheart have a lot of aspects that I like too! I love the more gradual gathering of abilities/traits compared to the big level jumps of D20 games, I love the way that character traits can impact play and are rewarded/treated, and I love the way that death/dying rules give some degree of power to the players, making it easier to survive.

Other Combat Games like Draw Steel!, DC20, and (to a certain extent, it's basically "OSR meets Anime meets 4e") Break! RPG gave me a lot of neat ideas for streamlining combat/etc. in Shadowbreaker. I also took a lot of inspiration from Draw Steel! in particular for my rewards, and Break! for my downtime.

What Is Shadowbreaker?

Again, here is a link to the most up to date playtest document as well as the Character Sheet front and back. If you want a quick version, though, here ya go!

Mechanically:

• Shadowbreaker is a d20 roll high system. It uses both PF2's 4 degrees of success as well as often adding additional bonuses/penalties if you succeed/fail by 5.
• There are 4 Attributes (Agility, Insight, Might, and Will), starting at between -1 and +2 and potentially going up to +7 by level 10.
• In addition, you can have Advantage or Disadvantage (just like in 5e), as well as up to 2 Edges or Banes that grant a +/- 2 each (they cap first and then cancel out 1-for-1).
• You usually gain Edges by invoking Traits (like Purviews, basically not-skills that you only have 2-3 of, or character traits like Motivation, Drives, or Bonds) or through Titles or other abilities. 
• Character growth can always happen narratively/organically, but there are also mechanical levers for it built into characters to help guide or prompt this change.
• Combat is an Action Point system, where PCs have 2 AP from levels 1-4, 3 from levels 5-8, and 4 from levels 9-10. There are some defined options, but players should also feel free to improvise!
• You can gain Feats and Perks to make your character cooler, but only through meeting people or befriending factions since you have to learn them in downtime, and you also gain Titles based on your character growth or Epic Deeds.
• There are 6 vague but evocative Magic Traditions: the Bright, the Deep, the Green, the Night, the Vast, and the Veil.
• Magic works just like anything else - you roll high to determine effect, often comparing the roll to the stats of those you are targeting. On a Critical Failure, things go Wrong.
• You can cast spells at a base level whenever you want, but can Empower them to increase their effect, likely gaining Strain in the process (if you have more Strain than your max, you fall unconscious).

Ok, but what's it about? 

Again copying Draw Steel! I came up with 4 words to describe Shadowbreaker's vibe:

• Grounded. Mundane abilities and tools matter. Low level stories are often focused on ordinary people or problems, and even at high levels the stakes are personal. Magic is dangerous, and powerful creatures are terrifying. Creative problem solving is essential, instead of just using your cool abilities.
• Tactical. Choices matter at all levels of the game, whether on a narrative or mechanical level. Combat is not nearly as tactical as many other games, but it still definitely is. Players must play smart in order to succeed, or in some cases to even survive!
• Narrative. Characters matter. They have narrative traits that matter just as much as mechanical ones, and those traits should change over time as the characters grow and develop. Characters can absolutely die, but only if a PC either makes a TON of mistake or they choose to let that happen. If PCs do die, then that death should be a meaningful and impactful part of the story.
• Fantasy. Dragons and shit! You get it.

Note: I did not include "Heroic" as one of these words for two reasons. First, "Heroic" games should make the players feel heroic based on the rules. This game definitely creates space for that, such as with Struggling On in a fight or going out in a Blaze of Glory, but nothing in the rules requires PCs to be Heroic. Second, along those lines, you could totally use this system for other purposes just by awarding XP for whatever you want to reward! My Shadowbreaker games will still be heroic, because that's my favorite kind of story, but yours don't have to be.

Ok, but what's it about about?

1 sentence summary: Shadowbreaker focuses on difficult choices, character growth, creative problem solving, and that zero-to-hero progression arc, streamlining some of the more complicated aspects of other games in order to incentivize players to engage with the world first and the rules second.

Beyond that, it's kind of up to you! My games will be about scrappy scoundrels overcoming their flaws and growing as people until they are ready to take on the mantle of hero, but while the game expects characters to Grow and Change and do Epic Things, those things need not necessarily be in service of Heroic ends. It is probably optimized for lots of RP/exploration/etc. with either several very quick or few very intense combat encounters, though we'll see how that goes in play.

Stuff I Stole

I want to be very clear that, while the final (beta) version of this game is very much mine, and I am very proud of how it turned out, many of the individual aspects were either directly lifted from or greatly inspired by many of the RPGs I listed above.

I'll list PF2 separately, because honestly, this game is pretty accurately a streamlining of PF2 more than anything else. I use the 4-degrees of success, the action economy, the way Feats and Archetypes work, and inspiration for a lot of Feats and Spells.

• The 3 Classes were directly lifted and slightly adapted from Worlds Without Number, as were Scenes as a mechanical/narrative concept. 
• Attributes were not intentionally stolen from Fabula Ultima, but there was definitely some convergent design there.
• Combat Design comes primarily from Break! RPG (other than the PF2/DC20 Action Economy), including Hearts, Combat Zones, Speed Ratings, and how Monsters are designed.
• On that note, I stole the idea of Actions and Reactions being part of the same pool from DC20, and the idea for AP increasing over time from Rogue Trader CRPG.
• Purviews also come from Break! (at least in name, I'd seen similar ideas elsewhere such as Knave)
• Lores largely come from Knave's philosophy on knowledge & Careers, but renamed to highlight their distinctions.
• My Magic System started out with discontent with both Spell Slots and with Shadowdark's replacement. I initially drew a lot from Prismatic Wasteland, but ended up settling on a combinatino of DC20's combined Cantrips/higher level effects, MCDM's Talent Class for 5e, and Focus Points from PF2.
• Many Feats are stolen directly from PF2, though y'all can't see those yet bc they're not finished.
• Perks were likewise largely stolen from Draw Steel!, as were Titles.
• I also straight up stole Negotiations and Wealth from Draw Steel!
• Death & Dying Rules are a mix of Daggerheart's Death Moves and Draw Steel!'s fighting even at 0 HP, but I came up with the specifics of how Wounds interact with Hearts and am really proud of that.
• Narrative Development rules are based largely on Legends in the Mist, and to a lesser extent Blades in the Dark.
• The Crawling Round procedure is largely lifted from Justin Alexander's So You Want To Be A Game Master? as I'm sure will be many of my other Scenario Structures.
• My focus on Motivations, requiring trainers to gain Feats, and starting with a blank slate and only adding more as we go from The Angry GM. Note: his tone can be a bit much if you're not used to it, explore with caution.
• I make heavy use of the Landmark, Hidden, Secret distinction outlined by DIY & Dragons.
• I use Mindstorm’s Inspect, Search, Ransack, as well as Nested Monster Hit Dice for Colossi.

I'm sure I took inspiration from other places too, but this is what I can remember or have documented. Please let me know if anything in my game matches other systems, and if that's where I got it, I'll add it to the list!

I encourage you all to go buy and play as many of these games as you can, and to check out the included blogs! I will never seek to make money from Shadowbreaker, but someone should get paid for all those cool ideas!

What's Next?

First off, playtesting! I've been running a 1-on-1 game with my Partner for a while where she controls 2 PCs, and it's been a blast so far. I also just started a biweekly game with my Red Hand of Doom group while we are on break from that, and can't wait to see how the game plays in a full group! I had intended to create a fresh homebrew campaign based on their random character creation and a group discussion, but then when they described the type of game that they wanted to play, they basically described The Well of Souls, which I had originally been working on for PF2... Oh well! At least I'll get to run it / finish designing it! I've also done a lot of playtesting already on past versions that have led to a lot of the more recent changes, but we don't need to get into all of that.

I have a few main questions that I hope playtesting will answer:

• Is side-based initiative a good fit for this game, or would Draw Steel!'s zipper system work better?
• Is surprise/Preparing a good framework?
• How is the monster balance? Are they as much of a threat as their level suggests? Are they mechanically interesting enough, or do I need to pull in things from elsewhere?
• How about encounter balance? (I recently scrapped one system in favor of another, that balances encounters based on Tier not Level, but how well will that work?)
• How about Spell Balance? Especially between Traditions, but maybe there are particularly overpowered individual spells as well. And to a lesser extent, Feat balance.

I'm sure more will come up! But I'm excited to have such a focused list.

In addition to playtesting, there's also just a bunch of stuff I need to finish, including:

• Feats: both creating a LOT of them, and confirming whether I'm using PF2's level caps or basically stealing Break!'s Basic/Advanced/Master again, but for Feats as well as Spells.
• Perks: they are mostly created/stolen from Draw Steel! and elsewhere, but who knows maybe more would be good?
• Titles: Both fleshing out how Epithets work and coming up with lots of Epic Titles for players to earn.
• Treasure: I have vague guidelines / lists of traits, but I don't have just like... a list of a bunch of magic items. Maybe it's ok to just use my guidelines but steel from other games for now.
• Monsters/NPCs: I have a math table (based on Break!'s), and I have a bunch of stat blocks written in notebooks or scratch paper, but very little of that is typed up into doc form and there are a TON of gaps before I'd feel comfy giving this list to other GMs to run.
• Scenario Structures: fleshing out Infiltrations, Wilderness Exploration, etc.
• Encounter Strucutres: warfare-level Battles, ship-to-ship combat, chases, etc.

Lots to do! But I'm also genuinely really happy with where the game is at. This has been a long time coming, and I'm really proud of all the work and time that went into this. If anyone wants to run the game, please let me know and I'm happy to share what I have of the above for you to work off of. I'll also probably be making individual posts about these aspects as I do more work on them. 

See you all then :)